Vampire: Blood & Vice

Survive the night and uncover conspiracies as a fledgling PI embroiled in the vampire politics of 1980s Las Vegas in a narrative-driven horror cRPG set in the World of Darkness.

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Travel back to the 80s—the Decade of Greed—filled with vibrant neon lights, bold patterns, and some of the best music ever produced by the Kine. Immerse yourself in the city's nightlife, where fortunes are made or lost in a single moment.

Between the mountains and deserts of Nevada lies the not-so-hidden gem. Through the centuries it has been called many names. The City of Sin. The City of Lights. The City of Second Chances or Life Ruining Decisions. Las Vegas in the 80s is experiencing a vampire overpopulation problem, putting tensions to the limits of the various vampire factions that have formed. Each Domain has its own elites, commoners, and underdogs - and the City of Sin is no different.

As a newly embraced vampire, you find yourself a PI caught in the thick of investigating vampire machinations. You will meet Kindred of many clans and allegiances during your journey through the night each with their own personalities, hidden motives, and complex backgrounds.

Vampire: Blood & Vice is a classic cRPG containing all the features we would list when describing the ultimate Vampire: The Masquerade roleplaying experience. No shortcuts: we are designing a full-fledged Chronicle in the Unity engine.

The initial demo for our project “Sunset Chronicles: Sin City Blues” was one of the three winners of the Vampire: The Masquerade Game Jam 2022. That initial demo. It is a very simple technical demo that we plan continue to iterate on to have our project to reach the full vision you’ll read below. 

Build your character using the standard Vampire: The Masquerade character sheet. Invest in Attributes, Skills, and Disciplines however you wish. Create a Nosferatu focused on all things social, or one thug of a Ventrue. You know what they say... the sun is the limit. The player will be able to choose their gender with male, female, and nonbinary options. The player will also have either a husband or a wife so the player can choose their sexuality. 

Origins

The Journalist: Once a respected journalist, you fell from grace after uncovering a scandal too big to contain. Your relentless pursuit of truth sets you on a collision course with the secrets of Las Vegas powerful Kindred want to remain hidden.

The Fed: From FBI agent to outcast, your career crumbled after a high-stakes investigation went awry. A quest for justice leads you into the dark underworld of Kindred politics.

The Convict: A former member of the Di Forli crime family, your loyalty was repaid with betrayal. Imprisoned and later released, you seek redemption or revenge, navigating the dangerous waters of Vegas with your criminal past.

The Fixer: You were the go-to problem solver, the one who made things disappear and ensured deals went smoothly. Now in mess of your own, your skills in manipulation and negotiation are even more crucial as you navigate the complex politics of Kindred society.

The Escort: Your life in the shadows of Vegas’s nightlife brought you close to the city’s power brokers. That all fell away when a fellow escort goes missing and your survival instincts drive you to carve out a new life.

Clans

Banu Haqim - The Judges: A clan of vampire judges and mercenaries torn between their thirst for blood and their dedication to justice. You must choose between acting as a mercenary for profit or upholding your ideals as an enforcer of vampiric law, often clashing with your darker instincts.

Brujah - The Rebels: Passionate warriors and radicals who thrive on idealism, rebellion, and strength. You may struggle between being an idealist fighting for freedom or becoming a hardened realist, often facing resistance from the establishment you rebel against.

Gangrel - The Beasts: Shapeshifting predators who embrace their beastly nature, prowling both wilderness and urban landscapes. You will grapple with the balance between embracing your primal nature and conforming to society’s expectations, risking alienation from both worlds.

Giovanni - The Necromancers: Masters of necromancy and death, controlling the dead to further their influence and family interests. You may be torn between serving the sinister goals of your family or using your powers to break away from its corruption, all while navigating the politics of death. 

Lasombra - The Manipulators: Ruthless vampires who pull strings from the shadows, manipulating others to gain power. You will face the challenge of balancing your ambitions for control with the danger of becoming a pawn yourself, especially within hostile political landscapes.

Malkavian - The Oracles: Vampires cursed with fractured minds but blessed with unsettling visions of hidden truths. You must navigate the fine line between madness and clarity, often facing disbelief or scorn from others who don’t understand your prophetic insights.

Nosferatu - The Monstrosities: Deformed spies and outcasts who use their ugliness and stealth to control secrets. You will find yourself forced to operate in the shadows, constantly managing the disdain and fear of others while using your knowledge as your greatest weapon.

Ravnos - The Nomads: Tricksters and illusionists constantly on the move, using deception to get what they want. You may struggle to gain trust or stability due to your nomadic nature and reputation for trickery, often finding yourself on the run from your own deceptions.

The Ministry - The Tempters: Cult-like vampires who manipulate desires, swaying and entrapping their victims through temptation. You must tread carefully between liberating others through manipulation or becoming ensnared in your own webs of deceit, risking betrayal from within.

Toreador - The Seducers: Vampires obsessed with beauty and art, forever seeking to stir their dead hearts through creative pursuits. You may struggle with the conflict between genuine passion for creation and superficial indulgence, often losing yourself in fleeting obsessions.

Tremere - The Witches: Blood sorcerers who bend their vampiric power through forbidden magic and rituals. You may face mistrust from other clans while deciding whether to pursue knowledge for personal power or contribute to a greater cause, risking isolation or betrayal.

Tzimisce - The Dragons: Vampires obsessed with ownership and control, reshaping themselves and others to dominate their surroundings. You will contend with your desire for absolute control, facing conflicts over territory and loyalty while struggling not to lose your humanity in the process.

Ventrue - The Aristocrats: The self-proclaimed rulers of vampire society, using wealth, influence, and leadership to maintain power. You will be challenged by the burden of leadership, often facing opposition from rivals while maintaining your rigid sense of tradition and control.

Caitiff - The Clanless: Vampires without a clan, free from traditional ties but also lacking the protection and lineage of other bloodlines. You must navigate the challenges of being an outsider, earning respect and forging alliances while constantly defending your place in vampire society.

Kieran Edevane

The Doctor

Tremere

 A troubled doctor searching for the source of a mysterious new illness that killed his wife. He is your first companion in your quest as his goals become aligned with yours to find out who turned you into a vampire.  His analytic and calculating mind may become quite handy in your investigation. 

Evelyn Woolf

The Boxer

The Lasombra

A street fighter hardened by the harsh lessons of corruption and loyalty, she’s learned how these forces twist even the best ideals. Though she can be difficult to handle, her boxing skills are invaluable when it’s time to settle things with brute force.

Charles W. Noto

The Lawyer

Ventrue

 A charismatic attorney skilled in litigation, he uses his legal expertise to challenge the established Kindred hierarchy. Mastering the nuances of local law as if it were second nature, he's a valuable ally to have when facing trouble within the system. 

Midori Shi

The Showgirl

Toreador

A passionate performer wanting to break her contract with her abusive talent agent. Though she has her vices, her charm and elegance have granted her access to influential circles. She knows nearly everyone worth knowing, making her a valuable ally in a world where timing a smile or a refusal can mean everything.

Lucas Degano 

The Ranger

Gangrel

A war veteran looking to stop pollution on his land. Seeing through not one, not two even, but three wars is bound to leave a lot of scars. Living on the verges of society as well as the city makes him a specialist in topics of survival - whether in combat or in wilderness.

Investigation System

• Cases Instead of Quests: You will take on "Cases" as a PI in lieu of traditional RPG quests. Each case requires questioning suspects, solving puzzles, and making critical decisions on whom to trust and how to proceed.
• Dice Roll Mechanics: You will make dice rolls based on a pool of their Attributes and Skills. Supernatural Disciplines in your blood can be used for enhanced senses, aiding in uncovering hidden clues.
• Flexible Outcomes: Failure in deductions does not result in automatic case failure but leads to alternative outcomes. Each decision and deduction shapes the narrative path and resolution of the case.
• Dynamic Clue Gathering: You will obtain clues through various methods depending on your abilities. Different approaches provide unique paths to uncovering information, allowing for multiple playstyles.

Turn-Based Combat

• Tactics: Combat is divided into player and enemy turns.
• Abilities: You will utilize a range of abilities beyond basic movement and attacks, including supernatural Disciplines and active Specializations, providing strategic depth.
• Stealth: Stealth is a key option, allowing you to avoid combat or eliminate enemies unseen, emphasizing tactical planning and positioning.
• Dynamic Difficulty: Combat difficulty adjusts based on your Suspicion score, reflecting how discreet or reckless you have been, aligning with the need for vampires to act cautiously.

Social Simulation

• Feeding: Choose how to feed on your Herd to maintain discretion and avoid raising Suspicion. Influence the Herd to build Trust and manipulate their emotional resonances for different gameplay effects when feeding.
• Faction Reputation: Maintain Reputation scores with various factions in Las Vegas, impacting interactions, alliances, and access to resources.
• Companion Dynamics: Manage relationships with companion characters through an Ally/Rivalry system, influencing their behavior, loyalty, and support in and out of combat.

Haven Management

• Base of Operations: Establish and customize your haven by choosing a business type, such as a nightclub, community garden, or arcade, shaping its role in the narrative.
• Enterprise: Make decisions on how to run your business, influencing the type of Herd it attracts for feeding, and affecting the atmosphere and interactions within your haven.
• Defensive: Protect your haven from threats like Hunters and rival factions, using strategic defenses and alliances to secure your base and maintain your influence.